Data centers typically include diverse servers used for research, development, regression testing and hardware compatibility testing, which consume a significant amount of energy. The usage patterns of many of these servers often result in extended periods of non-use and idleness. In certain areas, such as, for example, research and development data centers, based on server usage patterns and the consequent wasted energy, powering down of such servers during periods of non-use or idleness can result in significant energy and cost savings.